SC ruling equals compiling a new register - PNC

The Supreme Court of Ghana yesterday by a unanimous ruling ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to delete from the electoral roll, names of persons who registered with the National Health Insurance (NHIS) card in the previous registration exercise.

The current voters’ register the court ruled is not credible for the purposes of elections because persons who had previously registered using National Health Insurance Cards as proof of eligibility are on the roll, as well as names of deceased persons and minors.

It was also established that the register, in its entirety, is not invalid since it was compiled under law at the time of its compilation and the Electoral Commission must take immediate steps to clean the current voters’ register.

The EC was ordered to make provisions for the re-registration of eligible persons whose names would have otherwise been deleted through the cleaning process.

The court gave its ruling on the case brought before it the former National Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser Kwame Baffoe and Evans Nimako challenging the credibility of the current voters register. According to them, the register in its current state is not credible to be used as a document to organise an election.

Commenting on the outcome of the verdict, Evans Nimako said, it will be correct for anyone to say that the ruling of the Supreme Court is tantamount to compiling a new register.

According to him, it is the EC itself that admitted they have the data of those who registered with the NHIS card on their manual card; an admission which paved way for the unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court judges.

Evans Nimako speaking in an interview with Kwame Tutu on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, revealed that the EC lied to them that they did not have the records of those who registered with NHIS but told a different story when they appeared in court.

"The EC admitted in court that they have the data of those who registered with the NHIS cards on their manual card. The court based on the admittance by the EC ordered them to delete all those names from the register."

He said he is expecting the EC to comply with the court ruling to ensure that we go into the elections with a credible register. Evans Nimako charged the EC to focus on their core mandate of ensuring a free, fair and transparent election and desist from engaging in unnecessary ventures.

He admonished the Electoral Commissioner Madam Charlotte Osei, to work in the interest of the nation and stop her ‘autocratic’ style of leadership.